If i Could
by flightingphoenix
Summary: This is a one shot in which Byakuya mourns the loss of his golden eyed demon cat, thanks to another one of Mayuri-sama flubs. I hope you enjoy it. I do not own Bleach, wish i did, I've got some laundry bleach but it's not quite the same. Thank Mr Kubo for that masterpiece. R&R please.


The room was dimly lit by candles, the scent of lavender, cherry blossoms and honeysuckle incense filled the air...not your average devotion scents,then again she was never average...those were her favorite scents. She loved burying her face in the crook of his neck inhaling the cherry blossom bath oil scent that lingered on his flesh,it calmed her.

The noblemans raven locks fell loose down his back and framed his face,but still they weren't enough to hide the tears that flowed and pooled before him.

She was his teacher...not just for shunpo or tactical evasions but of life. She taught him to live, she always had eventhough he never fully came to appreciate it til later. Her laugh was infectious and though the members of squad 6 thought themselves mad at hearing chuckles from of all people kuchiki taicho eventually they found it to be so. Soon, he no longer hid his appreciation for things in life.(soon being a few centuries...I mean this is byakuya we're talking about.)

He stared at her picture,and the tears kept flowing...burning his eyes."She wouldn't have wanted you to cry"is what some have said. But byakuya knew his demon cat more than he knew himself, she held him and told him to grieve for Hisana,she forced him to unlock his jaws and break...he did.

Now here he was once again,open of his heart and soul and grieving for her...the memories of that day came rushing back and soon clouded his mind.

(fi_ve years ago) The fourth division was in an uproar even Unohana taicho was in a state of worry from the situation before her. _

_Mayuri had placed an AI being in the precipice world to better track travelers. It had been programmed to eliminate foreign forms if they were unaccompanied by a shinigami or a hell butterfly. For this to not have any hitches he programmed the information on ALL of Soul Society and their ryoka friends. He forgot one piece of information which led to all this madness, Yoruichi in her cat form._

_Too far to return or exit,she didn't have a second to see what hit her,her guard was down and she moved slow because this was a journey she made countless times. Now poisonous toxins coursed through her body rapidly. Her legs ached and begun to weaken,she stumbled-her vision blurred...the last thing she saw was a bright yellow light. She had been consumed by the cleaner, she used what strength she had left to finally shift her form and was ejected thanks to more modifications mayuri had made in the world. Her human form sent off alarms all throughout seretei of having been injured. It was a much panicked Mayuri and a genuinely concerned Kenpachi who retrieved her and brought her to the fourth division ICU._

_"t-there...is no cure"mayuri stammered" The experiment was programmed to kill all threats...I didn't think this would happen...it would take weeks to counter the level of toxins in her". Unohana could not believe all she had just heard and rushed back into the room. Hanataro, Isane,Orihime were there along with Ichigo and Captain Commander himself, all offering as much spiritual energy as they could to keep her alive meanwhile Tessai went to the Kings Realm to retrieve an unknowing Byakuya. _

_ "b-bya-kuya . ..please..."everyone gasped hearing her voice,her eyes weren't even open. ...sickly black veins formed all along her body and in spite of their efforts they couldn't even stop the pain. Even Unohana could barely keep herself together at the sight before inspite of all she had witnessed already. Yoruichis breath hitched and her body arched from the bed as another jolt of pain took hold of her weakened state which made her go unconscious. _

_Unohana knew what had to be done and save for CC and Orihime and Ichigo she asked everyone to leave...kisuke looked sick himself as held leaned on the wall just outside the door._

_ The ICU wing door flew open causing heads to turn to see a shattered looking Byakuya, their faces made him stop in his tracks. A shrill scream that could be heard throughout the 4th division kicked him forward as his head spun with questions. That was Yoruichi...his wife. What was she doing here?_

_They fought a week ago and she left saying she needed air(apparently that meant a certain shop rooftop in the real world). They fought over where it should happen?,who should be there?,What the room should look like?. She wanted it to happen in the real world and he outright refused. He never chased her because he figured she would calm down soon enough. _

_"She didn't want you to be angry with her, She didn't want your family to be at odds again" Urahara voice broke as he spoke and Byakuya stared in disbelief: she...was...coming...home to me. He hadn't yet learned of the circumstances of what hurt yoruichi but mayuri already knew his life was going to end at the hands of someone in that room. Even the CC had a gaze of death on the man._

_ Unohanas voice sent daggers through everyone as she stood looking at Byakuya,her own tears ran...they could hehear orihime humming a soft lullaby inside."She...Kuchiki...taicho...I'm sorry. We could do nothing, trying to keep her alive was causing her unbelievable pain. Mayuri-sama hadn't made an anti-toxin to counter the ef-"She gasped as it was the CC who along with Urahara had to hold Byakuya from ripping into Mayuri. _

_ Kenpachi gripped a shaken Mayuri by the collar and hauled him out of the room, he would have to answer for this later. Byakuya broke falling to his knees in tears just as Rukia and Renji came rushing in, they felt his killing intent reiatsu and knew that was bad. What they saw however...a weeping byakuya brought rukia to tears,seeing the other faces there both her and renji put it all together. She had just lost another sister, the only one she got to know. "tai...cho"was all renji could say._

_Unohana stood taking a breath and moving to Byakuya but before she could speak a soft sound rung in his ears and he looked up, the others heard it too because they all rose to their feet and Unohana gave a weak smile as Byakuya rushed into the room. (End memory)_

_"I'm Sorry..."he bowed his head before the picture."yo_u lost your life in an attempt to please me. I want to take it all back and have you here with me yoruichi shihouin kuchiki"he loved saying her name because she loved hearing it.

There was a soft knock on the door"enter",it slid partly and a maid stood there meekly"they're here sir"She said in a whisper, her gaze humbly set on the picture before him. The man smiled and she left as his gaze leveled and rukia appeared with her at knob level of the door were two children a boy and a girl."Can we talk to mama now?" Shinzo the little boy asked softly,his wavy black hair fell against porcelain skin and the vast contrast of his golden eyes that could outshine any pharaohs gold grew even brighter when his father nodded and rukia brought them in holding the little girl's hand. She guided Tamashi(soul) next to Byakuya who took her for as much as her skin was that of her mother and the purple curly locks in pig tails were there The gray of her eyes were his one could say but it was that the toxins had done it's damage and claims her sight before she left the womb.

Rukia knelt beside Shinzo and they all took another stick of incense much like in the real world where others gathered at Uraharas shop to pay their respect to Yoruichi Shihoin Kuchiki the goddess of flash and wife Byakuya Kuchiki.

(end)

Shinzo is another way to say Heart and Tameshi is another way of saying Soul.


End file.
